Chapter 8
Bucky has already taken it upon himself to play football with the group of kids old enough, a bright smile on his face as he gently threw it across the field so as to not hurt the kids with his super soldier strength. He loved it here, none of them cared about his past or what his hands had been capable of. They didnt care about the metal appendage that attached at his shoulder, hell he bet they wouldn't even care if they knew he was gay. Delacroix had become his home. Sams people were his people, he would follow Sam till the end of time. He jogged up to where the adults were to actually say hi now that Sam was with him.
There was no judgement or hatred to be found in any of the mens' eyes, as they all had welcoming and friendly smiles on their faces. Everybody greeted Bucky warmly with waves and words, although Sam was the one to offer a little too obviously romantic hug. Noticing he was holding Bucky for a bit too long he let go and laughed that good ol' straight guy laugh. "Hey uh- hey man," He tried to say normally although it was definitely cringe worthy.
"Oh my god i hate you." He whispered, but chuckled anyways. He sat down at the picnic bench and grabbed some food. He used to feel shame for just how much he would eat, but the super soldier had an appetite to keep up. His body needed sustenance. Unlike when HYDRA had him, where he was overly strong but sickly underweight, he was built and muscular and healthy now.
Sam laughed awkwardly, glancing between the guys to see if any of them caught on. Unbeknownst to him, quite a few of them did. But, they couldn't care less. A few people already suspected Sam to be something that definitely wasn't straight, but that didn't change how they felt about the man one bit. This was Sam's community, his home, and they wouldn't treat him or Bucky any differently. After a while Sam followed after his boyfriend and, after looking around to see nobody was really watching them, he rubbed the man's shoulders lovingly. "Hey,"
Bucky hummed and looked up from his food with a smile, keening and leaning into the touch. "Hi, baby." He whispered back. "You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm good don't worry," Sam smiled. "I'm kinda burning up in this shirt you forced me to wear though," He teased in a flirtatious tone that only Bucky could hear, for the sake of their privacy.
"Hmm, maybe itll just have to come off then." He flirted back, voice even quieter than Sams as a pale blush coated his cheeks in the sunset glow.
Sam didn't expect Bucky to be so bold as to say something like that and felt his cheeks warm up. "I- there's kids around!" He tried to laugh off how honestly flustered he'd become from that one statement. Bucky did so many things to him, it was honestly unfair in Sam's book.
"Thats why i whispered it hot stuff." He mumbled, laughing with Sam as he took another bite of food. He loved the man more than life itself. Woah, love? Yeah. Bucky Barnes loves Sam. Its too early and not the right time, he thought. Every day he found himself healing, relaxing and finding his personality again. The nightmares were becoming rare, even though they were far worse when theh did happen, and despite being on guard and aware of his surroundings all the time,once he knew it was safe he allowed himself to relax.
"You're a huge bully sometimes, y'know that?" Sam huffed but, an idea popped into his head and for a moment there seemed to be a little flickering lightbulb above him. He grinned mischievously and, when Bucky's guard was down, he reached in and snatched a half eaten hotdog right from his boyfriend's hand. "Payback." He snickered before biting into it.
“Hey! Asshole!" He whined. He tried to grab it back but gave uo and rolled his eyes with a smile. "Fine then, steal your super soldier boyfriend's food. Good job." He mumbled, a smirk on his face.
"Mission complete indeed." Sam replied snarkily with a stupid grin on his face. "I can get you another if you want baby don't worry." He leaned down but stopped himself halfway, he didn't want people seeing him kissing Bucky's cheek. Not yet.
"Please and thankyou!" He smiled cheekily, turning away from the crowds to face Sam and make 'kissy lips' to him as an 'air kiss' kind of deal.
Sam smiled softly and after a swift roll of his eyes, he was gone and back with another hotdog in hand. "Careful, this one's hot cuz it's fresh." Sam warned gently, holding it out for Bucky to grab.
Bucky hummed and took with his metal hand without a care. "I think you forget one of my hands doesnt have sensations of hot or cold." He teased. "Im being a hermut over here. Hows everyone doin?" He asked, voice softer. Crowds werent his thing, even if it was as warm and welcoming as Delacroix.
Sam rolled his eyes playfully before glancing back behind the two of them at the crowd of people bantering away. He smiled. "Everybody's doing good yeah, and you don't gotta feel bad for wanting to stay away. I heard old dudes can be antisocial." He joked.
"Wow, cold." He chuckled. "i was gonna say 'im not that old' but i guess i am, huh? Oldest one here at least. Yet i think i damn well look the best for my age." He smirked, shaking his head.
Sam clutched his chest above his heart and fake winced. "Now that's cold! I'm aging like fine wine so shut your pretty mouth."
"Aged like fine wine but still aging." He winked, reffering to the slowed aging process he went through as a super soldier. "What'd'ya say we go join em' all at the bon fire? I havent had a smore in nearly a century and im sure it wasnt half as good as it is now."
"Damn you can be pretty ruthless when you want Buck," Sam poked his boyfriend's shoulder playfully. "'nd yeah, you've gotta try them. Come on," He held his hand out for the man even though he knew Bucky didn't necessarily need it.
Bucky smiled and shook his head, taking the hand. As if it was the first time, his body felt sparks of electricity far better than the HYDRA ones. Good electricity. It made his heart thump and swell with how much he loved the man he was lucky enough to call his boyfriend.
Sam could almost feel the pure, raw love emanating from Bucky's body; even in his gaze Sam could see that whatever this was that they had, it was real. He pulled his boyfriend up gently and when he thought no one was looking, stole a quick kiss to Bucky's cheek
Bucky sighed with the shake of his head, the smile never leaving his face. He did the same, though stole a kiss to his beautiful soft lips.
"Sometimes it feels like you want us to be caught." Sam joked, although it had a slightly negative connotation to it. He hated that, whenever they weren't around the neighborhood, they actually did have to hide.
"Sometimes i just wanna kiss my boyfriend." He whispered, scrunching his nose up with a small smile. He let go of Sams hand and walked over to the bonfire, sitting next to Sarah with an empty spot for Sam on his other side.
Sam followed soon after, sitting beside Bucky. He glanced toward Sarah who in turn gave a knowing nod. The Captain leaned against Bucky slightly, a gentle hand resting on the man's knee.
Bucky kept his arms crossed but a smile creeped its way on his face. The bouncing his leg had been doing stopped, Sams presence and touch giving him a sense of calm. AJ, Cass, and the other neighborhood kids sat a bit closer to the fire with long sticks as they roasted marshmallows for themselves and any adults that wanted them.
"You want me to make you a couple s'mores?" Sam asked after a while, squinting slightly from the smokey air around them. He didn't want to be the doting guy that did everything for his boyfriend, but- well, he definitely was.
Bucky snickered. "How bout we make eachother one. I wanna have my try at this shit, i havent done it in nearly a century." He smirked and shook his head in amusment.
"Oh is that a challenge I hear?" Sam smirked, quirking a quizzical brow. "You can bet your ass mine is gonna be gourmet style shit. You won't stand a chance."
"I bet. Il have AJ teach me, hes doin damn good." He snarked, placing his hand over Sams as if to say "I love this, but you gotta let go."
Sam squeezed Bucky's knee and planned on letting go, but instead he attempted to tickle his boyfriend's thigh.
Bucky made a noise similar to an "Ack!" As he flinched and jumped away, laughing as he tried to push Sam away. A few of the older couples smiled as they silently watched the two, the youthful love they had together warming their hearts.
Sam giggled and reached to prod Bucky's side but luckily for the older, Buck was out of reach. Sam gave in and headed to where the marshmallows were before grabbing a couple and stabbing them onto one of the few unused metal prongs left.
At this point, the two hadnt even realized that they had forgotten the cover, the facade, that they were holding against the town. Happily laughing together and making s'mores, Bucky moaning in delight and mumbling something about how much better they were from the 40's s'mores. He told AJ and Cass stories about him and his sister Becca, all while grasping Sams hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles.
Sam couldn't be any happier than he was now. Without anyone openly judging him and Bucky, he didn't even feel the need to verbally come out to the crowd. Everybody knew, and it was okay. He knew he was lucky to be surrounded by such a welcoming and accepting community, and for that he would eternally be grateful. He grabbed Bucky's flesh hand gently and squeezed it.
Bucky smiled at him, ear to ear with pure joy. Sam made all the bad memories, all the anxieties, all of it dissapear. He too was thankful for the conpany not mentioning their obvious romance, just taking it as it came and appreciating the "young" love. As Bucky was 106 going on 30. He pulled Sam up fron his seat to try and drag him away for a moment in private.
Sam's smile turned into one of confusion as he willingly followed his boyfriend. "Something up Buck?" He asked, not feeling the need to shush his voice as they had found a secluded place to talk.
Bucky brought a hand up to hold his jaw, pulling him in for a kiss. "I just wanted to say thank you... For all of this. And god i love you..." He whispered. A deep plush coated his face, heart racing with anxiety at the three special words he admitted to. He rested his forehead against Sams, letting out a small sigh.
Sam felt the one final lock holding his heart shut completely shatter and the past few months' raw emotions spilled out as he pulled Bucky into a loving hug. He pressed his lips against Bucky's in a kiss that could only be described as desperate. "I love you too.. God, I love you so damn much." He mumbled against the man's lips. It felt so good to finally be able to say it.
Bucky gasped at the sudden urgency and desperation in the kiss, leaning into it as he rested his arms over Sams shoulders and around the back of his neck. He only broke the kiss when he heard cheering, blushing redder than a tomato with a small chuckle.
Sam didn't think anybody saw them, but, now that they had an audience Sam couldn't care less. He rested his hand on the small of Bucky's back and swooped the two of them downward and kissed Bucky again, this time with more grandiose and finesse. Why? Why the hell not.
Bucky gasped and hummed into the kiss in surprise. "Sam!" He squeaked, laughing as he lost his footing and fell to the ground with the Captain on top of him.
Laughing could be heard and Sam felt embarrassed, but only a little. "I'd say that back fired but I'm on top, so it's a win for me." He joked, pecking Bucky's lips again.
Bucky blushed and shook his head. "Youre lucky i like being bottom" He whispered, smirking and kissing Sams nose. He gripped the youngers wrists and flipped them over. "It means you wont expect it when i do this!" He cheered, laughing.
Sam grunted but didn't push his boyfriend off; honestly the play fight was refreshing. It made him feel young. Bucky made him feel young. "This better not be foreshadowing anything-" He snickered before leaning up and connecting their lips in a playful loving kiss.
Bucky hummed into the kiss and held his jaw with his flesh hand. "I bet it is, but we'll see." He smirked, winking before he got up and ran away laughing, running backwards for a few steps as he waved a hand for Sam to follow him. AJ and Cass and the other neighborhood kids laughed and chased after him.
Sam shivered slightly below his boyfriend but when Bucky was practically chased away by the kids, he got up and laughed. This, this was heaven on Earth. Better than sailing, better than a completed mission. This was home. Sam jogged after them, laughing as he panted for breath because he knew Bucky could outrun them all if he wanted to.
Bucky was hardly even jogging, letting the kids tag him and squeal and run away, only for him to chase after one of them, scoop them up with a playful roar and carefully set them down again, running off in their game of tag. He glanced towards Sam often, seeing his boyfriends wide smile only made his heart flutter and allow the kids a chance to tag him or tackle him.
Sam decided to steal the show, (once again), and tackled his boyfriend. Of course it was gentle as possible and he made sure to take most of the fall when they tumbled to the ground. Yes, he was hogging Bucky, but he's his boyfriend damn it! Sam laughed heartily, acting like it was a mistake. "Oops,"
Bucky coughed and groaned as he hit the ground but laughed regardless. "Goddamn you Cap." He laughed, playfully smacking Sams face, groaning more as one of the kids yelled "Dog pile!" And jumped ontop of Sam.
"Oh shi-" Sam could even finish his exclamation before one after the other the kids piled on, knocking the air out of him. This brought back memories of his highschool days, hell even his childhood. Sam laughed breathlessly and attempted to push a few of the kids off.
"Jesus christ- im a super soldier, not invincible." He groaned. "Off guys, please" He whined.
"What he said!" Sam laughed dryly and luckily, the kids finally relented and all got off of the couple. Sam rolled off of Bucky and laid beside him looking up at the sky. "That's was somethin'," He laughed.
Bucky scoffed and snickered. "God i love it here." He commented. It was true, he had found happiness here. A sense of belonging. A calm he hadnt had since he lived in Wakanda and even then he still felt the awful loneliness. In Wakanda he had no one, sure he had Shuri and Ayo who were still close friends, but he didnt have anyone he could truley relate to. Sam and him had that. They had chemestry. Sam was his world, he would follow him no matter what. Stay with him loyally no matter what. And he hadnt had that since Steve left, but it was something he felt he needed.
"Glad you do.." Sam breathed out happily, eyes on the sky. Even in the middle of a flock of children running about and chasing eachother, Sam felt at peace. Hell, he could be at war and still find he was in heaven if Bucky was by his side. Speak of the angel, Sam turned his head to glance at the love of his life. The way the dimming sunlight illuminated Bucky's eyelashes to show their soft brown color melted Sam's heart. "You're beautiful." He said out of the blue.
Bucky blushed a deep shade of pink as he let his head fall to the side to look at Sam. "Arguable but thank you, handsome." He smiled cheekily.
"Oh come on, now you're trying to be cute. Pinkie Pie." Sam poked his boyfriend's cheek with a cheeky giggle of his own.
Pinkie pie? Where the fuck did you get that?" He laughed, not knowing the childrens cartoon
"Oh you gotta be kidding me- you're not a brony?" Sam laughed out into the evening air. "My Little Pony. Google it."
"Im scared. Should i be scared? Im scared. What the fuck is a brony?" He laughed, poking Sams side.
Sam laughed and swatted his boyfriend's tickling hands away. "A dude who's into MLP. If you're ever around girls they're always talking about that shit when they're little."
"The only female child ive had in my life was my little sister. And they didnt have 'My Little Pony' in the 40's." He chuckled. "Fine, fine. Maybe il check it out. Fuckin weirdo." He smiled and turned to lay on his side, one hand resting on Sams chest.
"You're the weirdo, not me." Sam countered with playful sarcasm, but it was all of a lighthearted nature. "But no trust me you don't. There's a lot of flashing colors and yeah- definitely not for you." Sam said it jokingly, but his statement had a deeper meaning to it.
ucky hummed at that, disregarding the dark nature of his words. He waited a few seconds, contemplating, before he hooked his leg up and over so he was straddling the Captain, a lop sided smile on his face.
"What- Buck there are kids present!" Sam said halfheartedly in fake outrage. In all truthfulness, he didn't mind the new position. Just the fact that they were in public. "You know if paparazzi were here we'd be trampled-"
"Youre the one insuing this is a dirty position, not me." Though he smirked and leaned down, pecking his lips before nipping his lip. "Later, handsome." He whispered before getting back up without another word. He went back to playing with the kids, chasing them around as he glanced to Sam to see the reaction he got from him.
Sam sat up, and it took him a moment to really comprehend what Bucky had told him. But, when he ran his boyfriend's words through his mind, his eyes widened and his cheeks heated up. Briskly he stood up and headed for the house for a 'bathroom break'.
Bucky noticed him rush inside and smirked, shaking his headbefore getting tackled by a kid. It barely phased him, but he dramatically fell, carefully shielding the kid from hitting thr ground while looking out for the other kids so he didnt hit them. All the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were amazed at how good he was with the kids, like he was a natural at getting them to participate and be active and have fun outside of video games.